By road, Huamantla and Boca del Cielo are about 487 miles (783 km) apart, or roughly 8 h 39 min of driving.
| Distance by road | 487 mi (783 km) |
|---|---|
| Time at the wheel, no stops | 8 h 39 min |
| Main roads, in order | MEX-136 → MEX-135D → MEX-190 → MEX-190D → MEX-185D → MEX-200 |
| Mexican states on the route | Tlaxcala, Puebla, Oaxaca, Chiapas |
| Toll roads (as marked in OpenStreetMap) | MEX-150D, MEX-135D, MEX-190D, MEX-185D |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 19.5 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic |
| Stops listed below | 9 |
Driving this route in a car with U.S. plates
| Temporary vehicle import permit (TIP) | Required: this route is outside the zones where U.S.-registered cars can skip the temporary import permit (Baja California, Baja California Sur and part of Sonora) |
|---|---|
| Mexican auto insurance | Required for all vehicles: buy a Mexican policy before you drive |
Sources: U.S. State Department, Mexico travel information (updated August 11, 2026); permits are issued by Banjercito.
Driving Huamantla to Boca del Cielo: the shape of the trip
MEX-135D (151 mi) and MEX-190D (105 mi) carry about 53% of the 487 miles. It runs through 4 states: Tlaxcala, Puebla, Oaxaca, Chiapas. OpenStreetMap marks tolled sections on MEX-150D, MEX-135D and MEX-190D. Of the 9 stops listed below, 3 are within a mile of the road.
Road-by-road breakdown: Huamantla to Boca del Cielo
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| MEX-136 | 0–9 | 9 | Tlaxcala |
| local roads | 9–49 | 40 | Tlaxcala, Puebla |
| connecting roads | 49–50 | 1 | Puebla |
| MEX-135D | 50–201 | 151 | Puebla, Oaxaca |
| MEX-190 | 201–232 | 31 | Oaxaca |
| connecting roads | 232–235 | 3 | Oaxaca |
| MEX-190D | 235–340 | 105 | Oaxaca |
| MEX-185D | 340–369 | 29 | Oaxaca |
| MEX-190 | 369–419 | 50 | Oaxaca |
| MEX-200 | 419–465 | 46 | Oaxaca, Chiapas |
| local roads | 465–487 | 22 | Chiapas |
- Mile 10 of this route: Tlaxcala → Puebla (state line)
- Mile 102 of this route: Puebla → Oaxaca (state line)
- Mile 437 of this route: Oaxaca → Chiapas (state line)
Breaking up the drive: stops between Huamantla and Boca del Cielo
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Oaxaca Cathedral (mile 208), Lambityeco (mile 225), Yagul (mile 228)
- Nature and outdoors: Tehuacán-Cuicatlán Biosphere Reserve (mile 93), Benito Juárez National Park (mile 201), Hierve el Agua (mile 245)
- Museums and history: Monte Albán (mile 207), Oaxaca Cathedral (mile 208), Lambityeco (mile 225), Yagul (mile 228), Gheo-shih (mile 230), Los Horcones (mile 461)
Tehuacán-Cuicatlán Biosphere Reserve
Cactus diversity reaches one of its peaks in the Tehuacán-Cuicatlán Valley, a dry landscape shared by Puebla and Oaxaca. Ancient canals, wells, terraces and dams show how people managed its scarce water.
Benito Juárez National Park
Just north of Oaxaca City, Benito Juárez National Park covers about 2,737 hectares of pine and oak forest. Trails wind through the woods, including La Coronilla, a moderate loop of roughly 5 km.
Monte Albán
Carved into a mountaintop above the Valley of Oaxaca, Monte Albán was a Zapotec capital for some 1,300 years; visitors walk a 300-meter ceremonial plaza lined with temples, a ball court, tombs and carved reliefs. It's a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Oaxaca Cathedral
Oaxaca Cathedral, the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Assumption, is the seat of the Catholic Archdiocese of Antequera, Oaxaca. Construction began around 1535, and the church was consecrated on July 12, 1733.
Lambityeco
Lambityeco is a small Zapotec archaeological site just off Highway 190, about 3 km west of Tlacolula de Matamoros and roughly 25 km east of Oaxaca on the way to Mitla.
Yagul
On a rocky hill in Oaxaca's Tlacolula Valley, Yagul is a Zapotec site whose builders linked platforms by paths. Explore the Palace of the Six Patios, a ball court, tombs and a fortress wall with lookouts.
Gheo-shih
In the Oaxaca Valley, Gheo-shih ("River of the Gourd Trees" in Zapotec) is an open-air site with a boulder-lined cleared area thought to have served for rituals, dances or games.
Hierve el Agua
About 70 km east of Oaxaca City, Hierve el Agua's two cliffs rise 50 to 90 meters above the valley, draped in near-white travertine formations that look like waterfalls.
Los Horcones
On the north side of Cerro de Bernal, atop a small ridge on the south side of a coastal plain, Los Horcones is an archaeological zone in the municipality of Tonalá, Chiapas.
More drives to Boca del Cielo
- Copainalá to Boca del Cielo
- San Cristóbal de las Casas to Boca del Cielo
- San Juan Chamula to Boca del Cielo
- Comitán to Boca del Cielo
- Tapijulapa to Boca del Cielo
- Palizada to Boca del Cielo
From Huamantla to other places in Mexico
- Huamantla to Huejotzingo
- Huamantla to Otumba
- Huamantla to Omitlán
- Huamantla to Atlatlahucan
- Huamantla to Huasca de Ocampo
- Huamantla to Actopan
Continue Your Adventure
Frequently asked questions
How long is the drive from Huamantla to Boca del Cielo?
About 8 h 39 min of driving without stops, over 487 miles.
How far is Boca del Cielo from Huamantla by car?
About 487 miles (783 km) on the Wayro route. Other map services may show a few miles more or less, depending on where they start and end in each city.
Do I need a permit to drive my U.S. car from Huamantla to Boca del Cielo?
Yes. A temporary vehicle import permit (TIP) is required for a U.S.-registered car on this route, which is outside the zones where it can be skipped. Mexican auto insurance is required for every vehicle.
Is it safe to drive from Huamantla to Boca del Cielo?
The U.S. State Department rates Tlaxcala Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; Puebla Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; Oaxaca Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; Chiapas Level 3: Reconsider Travel (advisory issued May 29, 2026). Read the full advisory before you go.
Which highways go from Huamantla to Boca del Cielo?
In order: MEX-136, MEX-135D, MEX-190, MEX-190D, MEX-185D and MEX-200. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles for each one.
What are good stops between Huamantla and Boca del Cielo?
Closest to the road: Oaxaca Cathedral (cathedral, mile 208, 0.6 mi from the route); Lambityeco (archaeological site, mile 225, 0.1 mi from the route); Yagul (archaeological site, mile 228, 0.9 mi from the route). All stops are described above.
How we put this guide together
Wayro calculates the route from OpenStreetMap road data; mile numbers are positions along this route, not highway markers, and "from the route" distances are straight-line, so the real detour depends on access roads. Stops are chosen from parks, natural sites, museums, historic sites and attractions close to the route: at least one strong stop for each stretch of the drive, then the best-known places nearest the road, up to nine in all. Places that are closed, private or not open to visitors are removed. Place descriptions are written by the Wayro team from official park, museum, tourism and government websites and other published sources. Safety levels and entry rules were checked against the U.S. Department of State on September 29, 2026. Conditions change, so check the linked sources before you travel.
Route data © OpenStreetMap contributors.